The speakers provided a forum for reflection on the role of the Catholic university in the holistic education
of professionals within the context of the book published by UCA.
The Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), a member of the Global Uniservitate Network (CLAYSS), presented the book “A University Reaching Out: Celebrating 15 Years of Francis’ Legacy” (título original en español: ). The event took place in a hybrid format on Tuesday 17 March.
The publication marks the fifteenth anniversary of the establishment of Social Engagement and Outreach as a cross-cutting department at the UCA, a living embodiment of Pope Francis’s call to build a university open to encounter, service and dialogue with the world. The book traces the journey that began in 2010, when the then Grand Chancellor, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, championed the idea of a university “going forth”. Through testimonies and experiences, the work shows how, over the years, social commitment has become established as an essential dimension of the UCA’s institutional identity. The text includes contributions from María Rosa Tapia (Coordinator of Higher Education at CLAYSS and the Uniservitate Global Network) and Andrés Peregalli (Deputy Coordinator of the Uniservitate Global Network/UCA Faculty of Social Sciences – Department of Education).
The event featured the following speakers: Monsignor Jorge García Cuerva, Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Grand Chancellor of the UCA; Silvia Bulla, President of the Christian Association of Business Leaders (ACDE); Andrew Furco, a researcher in service-learning at the University of Minnesota (and a member of the Board of the Global Uniservitate Network); Emilio Inzaurraga, National Director of Caritas; Chantal Jouannet Valderrama, Director of Teaching and Innovation and lecturer at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (Latin America and Caribbean Hub of the Global Uniservitate Network); and Javier García Moritán, Executive Director of the Group of Foundations and Companies (GDFE).
The event provided a forum for reflection on the role of the university in the holistic education of professionals, within the context of the challenges facing education in the 21st century, bringing together disciplinary knowledge, local experiences and innovative teaching practices, and incorporating the perspectives of various sectors of society.
